In 2022, Noam Baumann won the Cup with FC Lugano and wanted to take the next step in his career. From Italy to Crete, the goalkeeper has now ended up with a Japanese third division club. Baumann tells blue Sport how this came about.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- At the age of 29, Noam Baumann has already experienced a lot in his career.
- The former Lugano goalkeeper wanted to move to Saudi Arabia in 2022, but had to terminate the lucrative contract. He then played in Italy and Crete before Baumann took a special step at the beginning of this year and moved to Japan.
- On blue Sport, the keeper talks about his special career path and the transfer to Japan. He says: "I am very happy to have taken this step."
Noam Baumann has been under contract with SC Sagamihara since January of this year. Sagamihara? That's a large Japanese city near Tokyo. "It's a completely different world. In terms of culture, it's completely different to Europe," says the 29-year-old in an interview with blue Sport. "But I knew what to expect. I was here with my wife on my honeymoon."
SC Sagamihara play in the third-highest league and are fighting against relegation in the J3 League. During the vacations, Baumann explains that he thought he would like to have such an adventure in his football career. When he was given the chance to move to Sagamihara in the winter, he wanted to seize it. "It's also certainly an interesting experience in life. I'm very happy to have taken this step."
However, life in Japan is not always easy. "The language, the Japanese characters ... you don't understand anything. Not many people speak English either. Fortunately, we have an interpreter at the club who is with me all day and helps me," says Baumann. "But I can recommend everyone to come to Japan and spend at least a few weeks' vacation here."
Attractive level in the Japanese third division
Baumann may "only" play in the third-highest league in Japan with Sagamihara, but they still work professionally. "That really surprised me. Just like the level of play in the league," explains the son of a Swiss and a Dominican.
"In terms of standard, this league can easily keep up with the Challenge League," says Baumann. "The Japanese are incredibly disciplined, you don't see that anywhere else. They are also technically very strong and physically ready. It's unbelievable how many kilometers they can all cover. They simply go full throttle for 90 minutes."
Before his adventure in Japan, Baumann played in the top Greek league on the vacation island of Crete. "That was a great time. For me as a footballer, but also for us as a family. My first season in Crete was the best of my career. The move there was really worth it."
It was the second time Baumann had ventured abroad. The first time was in 2022, when he did not extend his contract with FC Lugano and wanted to move to Saudi Arabia. "I had a very lucrative offer and signed a contract for two years in Saudi Arabia, but had to terminate it again due to a personal problem," explains the goalkeeper. During this time, his wife also became pregnant. Baumann did not want to leave his family alone. "So I initially went back to Switzerland."
Hospital instead of swapping shirts with Buffon
Contact with Serie B club Ascoli then came about by chance. The goalkeeper finally moved to Italy in September 2022. But things didn't go as planned. "The start was actually great. I was able to play straight away in the first game and in the second I played against Parma with Gianluigi Buffon. But then I injured my foot and was out for a long time," Baumann recalls.
He continues: "That was a great pity. Because I asked Buffon before the game if I could have his shirt. But instead of walking off the pitch with him after the game, I ended up in hospital." A few months later, he was drawn back to Switzerland and FC Wil.
But his thirst for adventure got the better of him and he moved to Crete in September 2023. Even though Baumann looks back fondly on his time on the island, he will never forget a rather scary story: "The fans in Greece are very hot-blooded. After a defeat, we once had to stay in the dressing room for several hours because the fans wouldn't let us out. In moments like that, you realize that football is much more than just a hobby for some people."
Even if he likes it in Japan now, it is clear to the goalkeeper that he will return to Switzerland one day. Baumann: "Switzerland is my home. Sooner or later I will come back. Whether as a footballer or after my career, I don't know yet. I'm certainly not ruling anything out."